Girls on the Run gearing up for busy fall season

By Kathleen Boyce

Published: Friday, September 28, 2012 at 04:23 PM.

Second, we are celebrating our partnership with Run and Walk Belmont, located at 200 N. Main St. in Belmont.

At Girls on the Run, running is not just a metaphor. We use this activity to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness and build confidence through accomplishment, specifically completing a 5K. Completing a 5K gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The results are the same — making the seemingly impossible, possible.

In order to accomplish this goal, our participants need to have a good pair of running shoes. And finally Gaston County finally has a local running and walking shoe store with knowledgeable staff that can properly fit our girls for shoes appropriate for training for a 5K. Walk and Run in Belmont is located at 200 N. Main St. in Belmont. The owner, Julie Seligman, has many years of experience at Charlotte Running Company and is excited about partnering with Girls on the Run of Gaston County. Julie is offering our participants and coaches a 20 percent discount through Oct. 13. In addition, Julie knows that Girls on the Run requires each girl to have a Running Buddy for our two 5K races. Walk and Run Belmont is offering Running Buddies a 15 percent discount through Oct. 13 as well.

At Girls on the Run our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Together with CaroMont Health and Walk and Run Belmont, we hope to expand this mission to include our Girls on the Run families. We invite you to join us this fall as we pursue our Girls on the Run goal: to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.

The Run of Gaston County Fall 2012 program kicked off the week of Sept. 17. This season the program is serving approximately 750 girls on 63 teams at 50 sites in Gaston County. We are excited to welcome Webb Street School and Cramerton Christian Academy and we are most grateful to our 185 volunteer coaches and our dedicated Board of Advisors who make all of this possible.

In addition to celebrating the start of a new season, we at Girls on the Run are celebrating new partnerships and initiatives.

First, CaroMont Health is sponsoring a Couch To 5K (C25K) training program for Girls On The Run Running Buddies who want to prepare for our two fall 5Ks, the Charlotte International Airport Runway 5K on Oct. 27 and the Girls on the Run of Gaston County 5K in downtown Belmont on Dec. 8. Because both these events will be large races attracting thousands of runners and walkers, we ask that all our girls be accompanied by an adult Running Buddy. C25K offers parents and other adults a great opportunity to prepare for that.

What is Couch to 5K? C25K is a fantastic 9 week run/walk program designed to get just about anyone from the couch to running a 5K (3.1 miles) in just 9 weeks. The secret is that it’s a gentle introduction to getting the body moving. We will start off alternating between walking and running short distances, and slowly build up. At the end of the program, you will be ready to run a 5K.

The C25k program will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays at Martha Rivers Park, Oct. 9 through Dec. 6. Two practice times are available: 4:15-4:45 or 5:30-6 p.m. Participants will run independently one day each weekend and independently on Nov. 20th and 22 (Thanksgiving week).

The program is free. Participants will receive complimentary registration for both our 5K events and a C25K T-shirt. The program will be conducted by CaroMont Health.

Second, we are celebrating our partnership with Run and Walk Belmont, located at 200 N. Main St. in Belmont.

At Girls on the Run, running is not just a metaphor. We use this activity to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness and build confidence through accomplishment, specifically completing a 5K. Completing a 5K gives the girls a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The results are the same — making the seemingly impossible, possible.

In order to accomplish this goal, our participants need to have a good pair of running shoes. And finally Gaston County finally has a local running and walking shoe store with knowledgeable staff that can properly fit our girls for shoes appropriate for training for a 5K. Walk and Run in Belmont is located at 200 N. Main St. in Belmont. The owner, Julie Seligman, has many years of experience at Charlotte Running Company and is excited about partnering with Girls on the Run of Gaston County. Julie is offering our participants and coaches a 20 percent discount through Oct. 13. In addition, Julie knows that Girls on the Run requires each girl to have a Running Buddy for our two 5K races. Walk and Run Belmont is offering Running Buddies a 15 percent discount through Oct. 13 as well.

At Girls on the Run our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Together with CaroMont Health and Walk and Run Belmont, we hope to expand this mission to include our Girls on the Run families. We invite you to join us this fall as we pursue our Girls on the Run goal: to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.